Alright here’s the thing. For years Sefardim have been smug about having longer slichot than us Ashkenazi people. They think they’re better because their slichot lasts a full month, while ours is only two weeks.
But honestly, when you really think about it, why do they need so long? The whole point of slichot is to pregame Rosh Hashana. The idea of apologizing in advance for sins so you’re pretty much covered when the days of judgement come is probably the most authentically Jewish idea we have.
All I’m saying is that it’s a bit weird that Sefardim need such a long head start. What are they praying for in all that extra time, and how come they didn’t fit it into all that time they save with such a short benching? Maybe it’s because they know they shouldn’t be eating Lucky Charms. Or maybe they just sin twice as much as we do. Either way, it’s time they stop holding it over our heads and acknowledge that even though the chants and songs are fun, having more slichot isn’t really a good thing.
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